Whiz Kid JJ Morowitz Whiz Kid accomplishment Morowitz has raised $800 to date for Quality of Life Plus, a program that provides recreational and therapeutic benefits to injured Veterans through sport. Last weekend—in between playing games at a Brewster Ice Arena hockey tournament—Morowitz sold $260 in raffle tickets for an autographed NY Rangers hockey stick, donated generously by the pro hockey team. Between his team's win of the championship and raising funds, it was a very successful weekend. Whiz Kid Key to Awesomeness When 16-year old Morowitz heard about QL+ from a close family friend …

Whiz Kid Taylor Kesicki, a John Jay Middle School student and Katonah resident. Whiz Kid Accomplishment Kesicki is heading to Washington, DC on May 19 to take part in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference. The Junior National Young Leaders Conference offers mature, high-achieving middle school students, who are nominated by their teachers, the opportunity to learn about leadership by studying the leaders of the past and by focusing on social advocacy to make a positive impact in their homes and communities. Whiz Kid Key to Awesomeness Students will not only tour and visit historical …

via Bedford Central Schools: On any given week during the school year, Matt Solowey, a senior at Fox Lane High School, can be found singing with three different musical groups at the school: Wednesday afternoons with the Chamber Choir; Thursday afternoons with the Commoners, a male a cappella group and each day with the mixed choir. Solowey is a participant in Ed Reisert’s choral program and has performed with musical groups in the district since he was in the third grade. When asked about the importance of music in his life, Solowey said that chorus offered him one of the few creative …

  Whiz Kids Max and Mirabel Mallet, Goldens Bridge residents, Katonah-Lewisboro Schools Whiz Kid Accomplishment Donated birthday gifts to foster children gift drive and inspired others to give. Whiz Kids Key to Awesomeness When their 10th birthday rolled around, Max and Mirabel Mallet of Goldens Bridge weren't thinking about getting presents. They were thinking about seeing people who were homeless in New York City and wishing they could do something to make their lives better. Instead of receiving gifts, they were thinking they'd ask their friends to donate gifts for children who were …

Robbie Cohen of Katonah, a senior at Binghamton University, heads up the school's student volunteer ambulance squad which was recently named Broome County's 2011 Agency of the Year. Cohen received the honor from the Susquehanna Regional EMS Council, Inc. as chief of the 100-member volunteer corps, called Harpur's Ferry. The organization was established in 1973 to provide basic and advanced life support to Binghamton's 15,000 students, faculty and staff. The award is presented annually and recognizes excellence in emergency medical service. Cohen, a political science major, helps to oversee …

Whiz Kids: Mohamed Elsaid, Robert Belcher and Robin Day Key to Awesomeness:  The three seventh-graders have not only increased membership in the Autism Speaks Club at Fox Lane Middle School, but they are also being recognized as finalists for the Z.A.K. award (Zylie’s Awesome Kids)—an award being offered for the first time by the “Zylie the Bear” company to tri-state elementary and middle school students who are giving back to their communities and setting an example. Kathryn Reidy, a spokesperson from the educational toy company based in Greenwich, Connecticut, says the Zylie staff and …

Whiz Kids:  Ren Messinger and Christopher Clinton School: Fifth-graders at Bedford Village Elementary School Whiz Kid Accomplishment: These savvy, young students took first place in the Westchester/Lower New York division of The Stock Market Game—an online academic competition for students in 4th and 5th grade where kids invest a hypothetical $100,000 in an on-line portfolio. Whiz Kids Key to Awesomeness: These students, part of a group of ten teams from Bedford Village Elementary School, competed along with 102 elementary school teams from Westchester, Putman, Dutchess, Orange and Rockland …

Whiz Kids: Air Raid Ultimate Frisbee Team School:  Students at John Jay High School Whiz Kids' Accomplishment: Winning the state championship for ultimate frisbee for the second time in four years. The team played eight games over the weekend and went undefeated. Whiz Kids' Key to Awesomeness: The team is unique because it has no official coach, said Richard Lipari, a senior and the team's co-captain along with Zach Pozniak. "We are the captains, coaches and players," said Lipari. "Zach sets up the games and tournaments and I coordinate out on the field. We have a great system of upperclass …

Konrad “KC” Testwuide, a Harvey School senior, found his  academic groove in school shortly after freshman year. He credits one particular teacher at the small, private school in Katonah who sparked a fire in him that propelled the then-newcomer to excel at school. “My history teacher, academic advisor and rugby coach, Phil Lazzarro, consulted with me after my first year. I got a B in Physics and he asked if I was satisfied with just getting by and wanted to know if I could I have tried any harder,” Testwuide says. “It clicked for me that it was a personal choice, whether I wanted to reach …

Whiz Kid:  Daniel Cogut School:  Sophomore at John Jay High School Whiz Kid Accomplishment:  Despite battling a debilitating digestive disorder— a fight that included major surgery and numerous hospital stays—Daniel was able to succeed academically in his first year of high school and is now turning his attention to raising awareness and funding for Crohn’s Disease. Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness:  Freshman year at John Jay High School was a lot tougher for Daniel Cogut than for most incoming students. After experiencing abdominal pain and other worsening symptoms, he was diagnosed with Crohn’…

Class valedictorian is an honor bestowed on the student who stands apart from all others in his class—the student who has earned the highest academic ranking. This year, the honors at John Jay High School go to Jeremy Zitomer. “Jeremy is an exceptionally dedicated, hard-working student,” said school principal, Ellen Doherty. “Beyond that, he has proven himself to be a good citizen— as a member of our Campus Congress, a stellar researcher— as evidenced by his award-winning science research paper and an accomplished member of one of our cappella groups. We are proud to count him among our …

Whiz Kid:  Maeve O’Neill School:  Junior at John Jay High School Whiz Kid Accomplishment: Maeve is the first student named an Assistant Director for the high school’s annual musical. Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness:  The idea of directing popped into Maeve O’Neill’s head after she did not get a part in a show that she auditioned for last year, when she was a sophomore. Amy Geiger, a music teacher at John Jay High School and the director of the school's musical, then suggested Maeve read through the script and perhaps direct a scene.  So the Katonah teen, who has spent half her life acting and …

Whiz Kid:  Zachary Mendes School:  John Jay Middle School 7th grader Whiz Kid Accomplishment: Along with his mother, Rica Mendes, Zach has been a founding member of the Fairfield-Westchester Counties' Team benefitting Livestrong, the organization started by Lance Armstrong to raise awareness and money for the millions of people affected by cancer. Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness: Zachary, a Lance Armstrong fan since 2009, watched as his mother’s interest in cycling took on a serious purpose. Rica Mendes had challenged herself that year to several 100 mile-plus rides. When the news came that a …

Whiz Kid: Maria Jose Aveiga School:  Senior at Fox Lane High School Whiz Kid Accomplishment: After applying for the Modern Foreign Language Scholarship offered by Manhattan College, Maria Aveiga was one of fifteen winners chosen from a pool of 90 applicants. She was awarded a four-year scholarship that includes tuition, room and board, to attend the Roman Catholic, liberal arts college located in Riverdale, NY. Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness:  Maria Aveiga came to the United States from Ecuador in 2006 and began her American school life as an eighth-grader at Fox Lane Middle School.  Now a …

Whiz Kid:  Michael Jasper School:  Senior at John Jay High School Whiz Kid Accomplishment: Following in his famous father’s footsteps, 17-year old Michael Jasper is giving R & B/pop fans an original sound that they can groove to. He performed vocals and played the keyboards and synthesizer. His first CD entitled “Addictive,” is a mix of techno-pop dance music, including a song called Farewell, which is dedicated to military personnel who must leave their loved ones when called to service. Click on this link to hear a sample of Jasper's music. Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness:  Growing up in …

Whiz Kid:  Matthew Emmer School:  Junior at John Jay High School Whiz Kid Accomplishment: Matt Emmer is a songwriter, musician and member of “Power of Song,” a musical youth group who sang in a video along with legendary folk singer, environmentalist and social activist Pete Seeger. Emmer’s group will open the Earth Day concert at Tarrytown Music Hall on April 22 that will feature many folk-singing greats including Seeger, Tom Chapin, Janis Ian and others. Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness:  When representatives from a Department of the Interior initative—President Obama’s “America’s Great …

Whiz Kid:  Zoe Gross School:  Senior at John Jay High School Whiz Kid Accomplishment: Creating “community art classes” at the Katonah Art Center for kids who might not have opportunities to enroll. Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness:  Zoe Gross loves the Katonah Art Center. “This is such a great place for us to have in town,” she says. “Art is such an important outlet for kids to express what they are thinking or feeling—without having to say it.” Last fall, she began thinking about who had access to the huge array of classes offered at the center and began her effort to teach art to kids who …

  Whiz Kid: Genevieve Lipinsky School:  Senior at John Jay High School Whiz Kid Accomplishment: Co-President of the Bridges to Community club at John Jay High School, this honor student is part of a group of 19 students and three chaperones that will travel to a rural village in Nicaragua next April to help build homes for those in need. Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness: Going to Nicaragua has become a Spring Break ritual for Genevieve Lipinsky. After being inspired by her older sister, who was involved with Bridges to Community years ago, Lipinsky became an active member herself. The non-profit…

School:  Fourth-grader at Increase Miller Elementary School Whiz Kid Accomplishment:  Currently ranked number one in the nation for his age-group in snowboarding's "boardercross" event Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness:  Snowboarding has come easy for Mike Craig. On most winter weekends for much of his younger years, he was an avid skier, hitting the area slopes. Last year, he decided to give snowboarding a try and has quickly progressed into a rising talent in the sport. For the current winter season, at the recommendation of his instructor, Mike began competing with the Hunter Mountain …

Whiz Kid:  Isabelle Anderson School:  Fifth-grader at Bedford Village Elementary School Whiz Kid Accomplishment:  Being part of the New York City Ballet’s production of Swan Lake, opening Friday night at Lincoln Center Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness:  Being accepted into the prestigious School of American Ballet at the age of ten is pretty awesome.  Landing a part in one of the world’s most illustrious ballet productions soon after that could be called icing on the cake.   For Isabelle Anderson, it has been a great experience. “I would love to join a ballet company someday,” she says. “The …